Chapter Four :: In Person//Video

[looseleafbook]

[Everyone should have found a small bundle of food and some first aid items wrapped in a blanket. It was separated to make sure that everyone got the same amount of the items. But there was an apple in every bundle! And if there are pets, some extra food for them.]

[Hours later]Hope everyone got everything alright, made sure the rooms were

Comments

[Video]

[fallforthesky]

Thank you for doing this, Lavi.

[The video feed on Lenalee's end reveals that she's sitting on the floor next to her door, with the bundle half-open in her lap. She looks exhausted and is turning the apple over and over in her hands.]

[Eventually:] ...no.

[Video]

[looseleafbook]

Anything to help, yeah? Don't need any of us getting sick from starvation or anything. [Tries to give her a reassuring smile but it falters at that.

And then it drops.] I was hoping... [He trails off. You've always had what seemed like a closer relationship to Allen than he did. Lavi had hoped that Lenalee had some clue.]

[Video]

[fallforthesky]

I don't need much. [Funny. The less food they have to eat here, the more she thinks of the feast she'd had the day she got back from Greece. Clenches her jaw a little to keep her lips from twisting in a frown-- or worse, the twisted smile it seems to want to form.]

Rhode said he's probably gone home. M-Maybe the Inspector went, too.

[Video]

[looseleafbook]

Keep it in storage for later, yeah? [She's getting a worried look, all of you are worrying him. Not telling him anything of what's going on at home.

Lavi nods and runs a hand through his hair.] Maybe.

[Video]

[fallforthesky]

I will. I wouldn't throw it out. [It's all going to come out in a rush one day soon, Lavi, and maybe then it'll be a little clearer why people are keeping secrets. She just... can't tell him yet. If she says it aloud, then it makes it real.]

...why do they get to go back and not us?

[Video]

[looseleafbook]

[He gives her one of his reassuring Lavi-grins at that, just glad that Lenalee's taking care of herself. Better sooner than later in some cases, Lavi's pretty much got the shortest end of the stick information wise with what's happened to anyone.]

Maybe there's something they need to do. Something they can change.

[Video]

[fallforthesky]

[Well, 'taking care of herself' is a loose term for it, but close enough. She turns the apple again, and damn if it isn't the most polished apple she's seen at this point.]

...That could be it, I suppose. [Doesn't sound like she believes it.] Do people get sent back often?

[Video]

[looseleafbook]

[Lavi rubs at his hair.] I haven't seen anyone go home and come back. Sasuke... [Hesitates, closing his eye.] Libitina's master killed him or had her kill him. He didn't come back. Fawn lost someone but...I don't think they went out the same way.

[Video]

[fallforthesky]

[She flinches a little at the mention of Sasuke. She has no idea who "Fawn" is, but Sasuke is a name that's been at the forefront of her mind for a few days now. Glances off to the side, twisting her mouth into a forced smile.] I didn't want for us all to get separated again so soon.

[Video]

[looseleafbook]

[Don't make him come over to your room and comfort you, he totally will if he thinks there's a need to.]

No matter what we'll still come back to one another, Lenalee. [Smiles hopefully.] We always do in the end. Your brother will call us all home. And we'll enjoy each other's company like the old days.

[Audio]

[fallforthesky]

[Bites her lip a little, stuck between a smile and a wince. Oh god, Lavi, she... there's no way she can keep up a poker face at that. She misses her brother. She misses feeling like she can believe words like these. Looking towards the ceiling as her vision starts to blur, then abruptly switches her feed to audio.]

I-- [hitch] --can't wait.

[Audio -> Offline]

[looseleafbook]

[Ohshit. Made her cry again.]

Lenalee...

[Lavi feels helpless at first then he remembers he can go to her now. The PDA drops and there's the quick movement of feet. They fade away and pick up again only now they're outside her room where they stop in front of the door.

A polite knock.]

Lena?

[Offline]

[fallforthesky]

[It's not really his fault. He doesn't know what's happening to her world or how bleak it seems next to his idealized ending. But as soon as the PDA drops and his footsteps fade away, Lenalee's rubbing at her eyes and hastily putting the bundle on her lap to the side and re-wrapping it.]

[By the time he knocks on her door, she has a near-perfect imitation of an 'everything-is-all-right' Allen-smile on-- save for the 'everything-is-all-right' part. Runs her sleeve across her eyes one last time for good measure, then:] Come in.

[Offline]

[looseleafbook]

[Lavi slowly opens the door, peeking in before he steps in all the way. He leaves the door open out of well-worn habit of having Gramps and Komui both bark it in his ear. But he isn't settled at all by the smile, he's seen it too often after straining things have been said or done, so he's moving to sit beside her on the floor, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Lavi pulls her closer and leans his forehead against hers.]

I'm sorry, didn't mean to upset you any.

[Offline]

[fallforthesky]

[She makes a sound not unlike choking, though it's meant to be a laugh. This... this definitely feels like it counts as a 'straining thing'. Ripe with self-deprecation:] It's not your fault. It's-- it's mine. I'm a little emotional lately.

[Understatement. Winds her own arm around him, and she's quiet again.]

[For a moment, at least.] ...when are you from, Lavi?

[Offline] Stupid tag

[looseleafbook]

[Their lives certainly are filled with them, it's too hard to try and avoid them. They follow and burrow in.] Anyone would be, yeah? Being stuck here doesn't help things...

[He pauses, such a strange thing to ask. Even stranger to answer, so he laughs a little to adjust to the question.]

Gramps and I just got attacked by this new Noah during our patrol in China.